** ~ Ice Cream Eating Now Thread -- Round 4 ~ **

[Bronco5150]

Got Baskin Robbins pints in my next of the woods now. Pretty basic assortment of flavors but "Mom's Makin' Cookies" is pretty damn solid. Love that swirl and the dough pieces were nice and buttery. Solid B for sure!

Half Baked froyo continues to be a continually underrated lower-cal option imo.

Who's got recommendations for new Blue Bunny quarts? How's their cookie dough?

[ugasar]

Das it mayne. That. is. so. it. mang.

Was epic/10... This is Salt & Straw at its best for sure!






Ample Hills No Sleep ‘Til Pumpkin


Whereas the Eye Opener featured an espresso base, this one is a dark coffee. Basically, they were both extremely strong bases for coffee but they differ slightly. This dark coffee base is sweeter whereas the espresso base was stronger, bolder and slightly bitterer. In my opinion, this was a better replication of an actual coffee taste too because of this and how I enjoy my coffee.



The pumpkin ooey gooey cake pieces were great. They were packed loaded in this pint, which is expected of Ample Hills. Not only that, they were of a good size as well. They were soft, chewy and extremely dense.



Like actual butter cake, each piece had a buttery flavor richness to it. The pumpkin had all of the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove & ginger spice elements you would expect of it. And surprisingly, on the tail end of each spoonful there was an extra kick of sweetness to each bite.



As most of you may know by now, I am not the biggest fan of coffee ice creams in general, but I enjoyed this one a lot. The pumpkin ooey gooey cake pieces were a great addition that was kind of like eating pumpkin coffee cake. However, I am still going to have to give the edge to The Eye Opener due to the extra amount of mixins and uniqueness. Still, this pint is worth your time! B+

[ErickStevens]

Who's got recommendations for new Blue Bunny quarts? How's their cookie dough?

Their cookie dough is one of their weaker flavors. I highly recommend Cheerific Cheesecake.

[Bronco5150]

Their cookie dough is one of their weaker flavors. I highly recommend Cheerific Cheesecake.

Thanks!! I'll be on the lookout as, like any sane human, I love cheesecake. It's a shame that most offerings can't seem to capture the flavor particularly well, though I haven't tried B&J's strawberry cheesecake (strawberries tend to hurt a pint more than they can ever help imo...)

Balsamic Fig & Mascarpone by Coolhaus makes me wish they'd try their hand at one. Such a nice base.

[ErickStevens]

Thanks!! I'll be on the lookout as, like any sane human, I love cheesecake. It's a shame that most offerings can't seem to capture the flavor particularly well, though I haven't tried B&J's strawberry cheesecake (strawberries tend to hurt a pint more than they can ever help imo...)

Balsamic Fig & Mascarpone by Coolhaus makes me wish they'd try their hand at one. Such a nice base.

I'd suggest Gelato Fiasco's Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel as well.

[ugasar]

Little g Birthday Cake


This is my first time scooping little g’s vanilla bean ice cream and it didn’t disappoint. I am a huge fan of vanilla bases, especially vanilla bean, and this was great. You can see the specks of vanilla bean mixed throughout the base, which ultimately leads to that great creamy vanilla bean flavor.



As you can tell, the pint is littered with confetti birthday cake chunks. They are range in sizes, with some being massive and are very colorful. The pieces are extremely soft and chewy. They are very dense as well. The taste is somewhat off, however. The texture and density mimics a sheet cake perfectly, but the flavor isn’t quite there. It is still good, but it is definitely different than your typical birthday cake flavor.



The vanilla buttercream frosting is indistinguishable to the eye, but the flavor is definitely there. The frosting makes the base and chunks a lot creamier and denser. And it intensifies the vanilla flavor much more.



Overall, this was an average pint for little g. The confetti chunks are definitely the star of the pint. I enjoyed the vanilla bean base and the vanilla buttercream frosting. However, I think the vanilla pulled from the birthday cake flavor too much in this case. I still think this pint is above average in terms of quality, but if you are choosing a 6-pack from little g, this one probably wouldn’t make the cut. B-

[Bronco5150]

Know it's an old favorite for many of y'all but I just found Turkey Hill Pumpkin Pie and was totally surprised at how great it is despite the numerous positive reviews I've heard.

The pumpkin base was light and creamy, almost reminiscent of pie filling (this might just be me contriving a nice way to say it's obviously fluffier than super premium!) and the graham swirl was the best I've tasted. They really nailed the complexity of the spices that make up an authentic pumpkin pie flavor which, in my opinion, doesn't always shine through in many pumpkin ice creams/desserts.

Solid B+ from me.

[lazymuchacho]

The flavors she just announced tho... fuuaaa...

Looks like the Jan. s&s shipment will have some company.

[SOH11]

Little G ratings:

Snack Attack - 10/10
Chocolate Milk and Cookies - 9.5/10
Triple Cookie Dough - 9/10
Marshmallow Crispy Treat - 7.5/10
Coffee and Donuts - 7/10
Confetti Birthday Cake - 6/10

[ErickStevens]

Little G ratings:

Snack Attack - 10/10
Chocolate Milk and Cookies - 9.5/10
Triple Cookie Dough - 9/10
Marshmallow Crispy Treat - 7.5/10
Coffee and Donuts - 7/10
Confetti Birthday Cake - 6/10

Pretty much in line with my thoughts. I can't give Snack Attack the same rating as The Munchies, so I put it at 9. Even though I don't necessarily agree with your ratings, I do think Birthday Cake, C&D, and Marshmallow Crispy Treat are three of Little G's weakest flavors.

BTW, if you think January's flavors look good, keep in mind there's still 2 more: One designed by me and one designed by Grace. I think the folks in this thread will appreciate my contribution...

[lazymuchacho]

Little G "Snack Attack":

Back in the States for the holidays...and I had read all about Grace...so naturally the first pint to go down was one of hers...



You people...you d8cking people. Cover your ears and tighten your b*tt holes bc you are about get rustled. First, can confirm that pints come with top layer of "ice". Second, can confirm that at least this flavor melts faster than your credibility.



How is the flavor tho? Look the vanilla base is fair, but there are supermarket brands that do better. It's packed with mix-ins however, rite? Yes, and it is a very fun scoop. But even these things are soggy and the overwhelming flavor experience is one note: sweet, dominated by m&m's; you would hope that pretzels, crackers, and potato chips would impart enough of a salty tone.



And I'm not being hard on Grace, I'm being hard on the hype machine. She is doing incredible work for her age; nevertheless, to even mention Snack Attack in the same sentence as The Munchies is criminal. Saying that the difference between the former and the later is that one has a "pretzel base" and the other doesn't is like saying that the difference between a Red Ferrari F40 and a Blue Ford Mustang is that one vehicle is Red...gtfo.



Still have 10+ flavors to go through and I'm certainly not closing the book on the brand but you people are doing her a disservice by building up false expectations.

[MosToorani]

Little G "Snack Attack":

Back in the States for the holidays...and I had read all about Grace...so naturally the first pint to go down was one of hers...

You people...you d8cking people. Cover your ears and tighten your b*tt holes bc you are about get rustled. First, can confirm that pints come with top layer of "ice". Second, can confirm that at least this flavor melts faster than your credibility.

How is the flavor tho? Look the vanilla base is fair, but there are supermarket brands that do better. It's packed with mix-ins however, rite? Yes, and it is a very fun scoop. But even these things are soggy and the overwhelming flavor experience is one note: sweet, dominated by m&m's; you would hope that pretzels, crackers, and potato chips would impart enough of a salty tone.

And I'm not being hard on Grace, I'm being hard on the hype machine. She is doing incredible work for her age; nevertheless, to even mention Snack Attack in the same sentence as The Munchies is criminal. Saying that the difference between the former and the later is that one has a "pretzel base" and the other doesn't is like saying that the difference between a Red Ferrari F40 and a Blue Ford Mustang is that one vehicle is Red...gtfo.

Still have 10+ flavors to go through and I'm certainly not closing the book on the brand but you people are doing her a disservice by building up false expectations.

You've got to admire this guy's honesty.. Highly appreciated!

[Partyrocking]

Tried out Coolhaus's Chocolate Molten Cake.

It was underwhelming to say the least. The base is icy. The mixins are tiny and you have to dig for them. Everything of theirs that I have tried has disappointed me me. Three strikes and I'm out.

[ugasar]

Salt & Straw Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Sherbet


You get exactly what you expect with the texture of this ice cream. The flavor sounds great, but the sherbet is just too icy when it comes down to it. It is frozen and rock solid right out of the freezer and you have to let it temper for quite some time before scooping into this one.



The base is a combination of pumpkin juice sherbet and lemon sherbet. I was skeptically at first, but the two meshed really well together.



The pumpkin juice doesn’t have many fall spices flavoring to it, but rather leans toward a more authentic, raw pumpkin taste. It was actually quite nice and fairly sweet as well. The lemon sherbet is much stronger though. Although it is pretty tart, it still has a bit of sweetness to it upon when you first bite into it.



Overall, I was somewhat surprised at how well the flavors meshed. The raw pumpkin taste is much sweeter than the tart lemon sherbet, which provides a nice contrast of flavors. However, the texture just doesn’t hold a candle to Salt & Straw’s dense, creamy and premium ice creams. C

[Tyler2106]

You've got to admire this guy's honesty.. Highly appreciated!

His "honesty", or experience, if far from anyone's experience that I've heard, especially my own. I thought this guy knew ice cream, but looks like I was wrong.

Maybe he got a bad pint though.

[ugasar]

His "honesty", or experience, if far from anyone's experience that I've heard, especially my own. I thought this guy knew ice cream, but looks like I was wrong.

Maybe he got a bad pint though.

I am not trying to back him up by any means, and I am a huge fan of little g and what she is doing right now. I have ordered a 6-pack and just now another 10-packl. But 2 out of 3 pints I have scooped so far from her have had ice on the top (which isn't a big deal in my opinion as long it isn't throughout) and also have melted fairly quickly. I have yet to scoop snack attack, so I can't provide any more information on his reviews with that specific flavor.

[ErickStevens]

Back to the old format, albeit "Fun Sized":

[mussina123]

Tried out Coolhaus's Chocolate Molten Cake.

It was underwhelming to say the least. The base is icy. The mixins are tiny and you have to dig for them. Everything of theirs that I have tried has disappointed me me. Three strikes and I'm out.

not the first, won't be the last...

[lazymuchacho]

Little G's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup:

guYS, I sInCErely apoloIZE for coming to such a quick judgement about the brand. So what do you say we give it a second go? Something easy, peanut butter + choc. How could ANYONE screw that one up?



Well, well, well...what have we here. a nICE thick layer of 😗...I'm sure that it's just at the very tipy top - an InnoCEnt goof -



the kind of goof that involves that top 30%. So what does this lollipop consistency base taste like? Let's just say B&J's choc base would have suffICEd as an improvement.



Fortunately, there are a ton of mix-ins to get away from the ICE cream. Unfortunately, they taste like garbage: chocolate has an off consIStEncy and the pb filling is overly granular...a theme.



best part? the peanut butter swirl which is actually quite good. it is fudgy, sweet, and rich in pb flavor; only saveable pIeCE of this fiasco.

Going back to scooping other brands before continuing bc anger is at 10 so one more of these beauties might convInCE me to throw away the rest of the shipment.

[ugasar]

Gelato Fiasco Supernatural Spirit Satisfaction


The whiskey flavor is very strong at first, much stronger than any other whiskey/bourbon pint I have ever scooped. However, the chocolate comes through pretty strong as an after taste. After a few bites, you are mainly getting a chocolate taste with only minor hints of whiskey. I don’t know if it was due to the whiskey, but the chocolate seemed to be a bit richer and darker than your typical milk chocolate.



The marshmallows are for textural purposes only. They provide no change of taste, but add a touch of sweetness. In general, I’m just not a fan of marshmallows that are this soft and gooey.



The chocolate covered almonds were a great addition. They were crunchy, but the chocolate coating around the outside was softer. The chocolate taste was slightly milkier than the base and the aftertaste of almonds paired nicely with both the chocolate and whiskey flavors.



Overall, this wasn’t anything special from Gelato Fiasco. If you are a whiskey fan, you would probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. The almonds were a nice crunchy addition that paired well with the chocolate flavors. It wasn’t awful, but still ranks on the latter half of their pints that I have scooped. C+

[Tyler2106]

Little G's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup:

guYS, I sInCErely apoloIZE for coming to such a quick judgement about the brand. So what do you say we give it a second go? Something easy, peanut butter + choc. How could ANYONE screw that one up?

[img]http://i.imgur.com/G02i0VVl.jpg[img]

Well, well, well...what have we here. a nICE thick layer of 😗...I'm sure that it's just at the very tipy top - an InnoCEnt goof -

[img]http://i.imgur.com/vPpEsVBl.jpg[img]

the kind of goof that involves that top 30%. So what does this lollipop consistency base taste like? Let's just say B&J's choc base would have suffICEd as an improvement.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/yqM8Apwl.jpg[img]

Fortunately, there are a ton of mix-ins to get away from the ICE cream. Unfortunately, they taste like garbage: chocolate has an off consIStEncy and the pb filling is overly granular...a theme.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/u47gqlTl.jpg[img]

best part? the peanut butter swirl which is actually quite good. it is fudgy, sweet, and rich in pb flavor; only saveable pIeCE of this fiasco.

Going back to scooping other brands before continuing bc anger is at 10 so one more of these beauties might convInCE me to throw away the rest of the shipment.

Again, I've not seen any complaints about her stuff and what you're describing hasn't been what I've experienced. Maybe it's possible quality control is a little suspect with the recent increase in demand...? Either way, sorry to hear you haven't had good experiences. I know the pints I ate were extremely delicious and a joy to eat.

[Partyrocking]

I got Gelato Fiasco's peanut butter stracciatella and it's hard as a rock. It's okay once I microwave it a bit, but ... I'm 0/2 with them at the moment. They're very close to ending up on the list.

[MosToorani]

Again, I've not seen any complaints about her stuff and what you're describing hasn't been what I've experienced. Maybe it's possible quality control is a little suspect with the recent increase in demand...? Either way, sorry to hear you haven't had good experiences. I know the pints I ate were extremely delicious and a joy to eat.

2/2

[DougyF7]

Little G's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup:

Going back to scooping other brands before continuing bc anger is at 10 so one more of these beauties might convInCE me to throw away the rest of the shipment.

I had the same experience with icey top section on the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (tried it last night). Haven't tried Snack Attack so can't comment on that.

The other flavors I've tried (Triple Cookie Dough, Hot Chocolate, Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Milk and Cookies) haven't had the issue though, so I wouldn't write it off just yet.

[lazymuchacho]

Little G's Fudge Brownie:



Ok, so let's move on past the mandatory step of having to throw away the top 1/4 of these pints. Below, you'll find a vanilla base that on it's own is still middle of the road, but actually complements the other components.



Brownie pieces? Plentiful, more often than not rock sized chunks, but also smaller scattered pieces that are "mixed" in to the vanilla base thereby helping it along. How are they? Enjoyable. Too floury for my endorsement - fudgy brownies is the move Grace, higher choc % in the recipe - but they are certainly not "cakey"...relief.



Once again, best part is the swirl though. Closer to chocolate cake frosting type density than syrup, it is sweet yet sufficiently dark and provides sufficient moisture for what could otherwise have been brownies somewhat on the drier side.

Look, making high end ice cream is complicated...making high end baked goods is even harder...clearly this brand should leverage the lower hanging but still very enjoyable fruit: thick swirls.



First flavor that I can recommend trying: the #1 "brownie" offering currently on the market and only behind B&J's now extinct Brownie Ale pint.

[ugasar]

Little G's Fudge Brownie:

Glad I just ordered this one.. Can I get some ice cream with my chocolate swirl and brownies?







Ample Hills Autumn In New York


This is my first sorbet or frozen dairy dessert from Ample Hills. The texture is very similar to Slat & Straw’s. It is rock hard and very icy, as you may expect with a sorbet.



The flavor of apple cider is tasty upon first but, but soon thereafter, all of the fall spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves) take over with full force. The amaretto liqueur leaves a very strong after taste that overpowers everything in this pint.



Be glad that you skipped this limited edition pint. The apple cider flavor is very subtle and the fall spices are the main players. Pair that with the amaretto sour liqueur and you are left with a very tart sorbet. This is a rare miss with Ample Hills. C-

[MosToorani]

First flavor that I can recommend trying: the #1 "brownie" offering currently on the market and only behind B&J's now extinct Brownie Ale pint.

Got 5 left in the freezer .. I'd exchange for some S&S, AH or even Graeters!

[lazymuchacho]

Glad I just ordered this one.. Can I get some ice cream with my chocolate swirl and brownies?

You wouldn't want to. The ice cream is the weakest part.

Got 5 left in the freezer .. I'd exchange for some S&S, AH or even Graeters!

Nothing S&S or AH are shipping now matches up to it, but B. Blitz is a worthy competitor.

[MosToorani]

Nothing S&S or AH are shipping now matches up to it, but B. Blitz is a worthy competitor.

Desperate for anything new at this moment in time .. got tired of rescooping the same old flavors..

Latest Ice cream I had was B&R's Mom's makin cookies .. "Ice cream"

[lazymuchacho]

Little G's Coffee Toffee Caramel:



Unreal...we beat the previous record...at least 40% of the ice cream in this pint was icy. Literally outer most shells of these always have to be scrapped, it's just a matter of how deep the damage penetrates.

Fortunately, I didn't have enough time to stare at the crystals in anger as the base started melting instantly...



But don't worry good bros on Insta said this is a "darkhorse" flavor. By that, I'm assuming they are referring to the horse that gets shot to put it out of it's misery.

Coffee base flavor? Very bitter and if you don't like the "burnt" flavor of AH's Salted Crack...look elsewhere.



Salted Caramel Swirl? Mistake: not much of it. At least, it is salty but beyond that the flavor is cheap.

Chocolate Covered Toffee? Hard and grainy; similar, but inferior to B&J's.

The holy grail is OF's Caramel, Choc, Toffee, but even B&J's One Sweet World is a similar pint that destroys the current example. Pass on it.



To be nice, I'll give her an opportunity to redeem herself with the Sweet Potato flavor which is "supposed" to be as good as it gets and is coming from a new shipment (yes, I'm an idiot for placing a second order before trying the first) so we'll see if these lollipop situation is unique to my first.